Yule Log easy recipe
The Bûche de Noël – Yule log is the quintessential French dessert served at the end of the Christmas feast.
Many recipes exist, but the classic French version consists of a Swiss roll filled with chocolate and made from a sponge cake.
The preparation is simple and takes about 45 minutes in total: approximately 30 minutes for the roll and an additional 15 minutes for the chocolate cream, which serves as both filling and decoration.
To save time, the chocolate cream can be prepared while the sponge cake is baking.
Yule Log made with a sponge cake recipe
Preparation: 30mn
Cooking time: 10mn
Ingredients – serves 6
• 75g of softened butter
• 75g of caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 75g of self raising flour
• Pinch salt
• Icing sugar for the decoration
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (thermostat 6). 350F/Gas4
- Prepare a sheet of parchment paper dusted with icing sugar on your work surface.
- In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until the mixture is pale and creamy.
- Add the flour and a pinch of salt while whisking.
- Whisk until the batter is thick enough to leave a trail (add a little hot water if it’s too stiff).
- Line a sponge cake tin (or baking tray) with parchment paper.
- Pour the batter into the tin, tilting it to spread it evenly.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed.
- Turn the cake out onto the prepared sheet of parchment paper and peel off the original baking paper.
- Trim the edges with a knife.
- Roll the cake and the new parchment paper together. Make sure the first turn is firm.
- Tip: The sponge cake should be rolled while still warm (otherwise it will break).
- Let it cool on a wire rack once rolled.
- Once cooled, unroll it.
- Spread the chocolate cream (recipe below) evenly using a spatula.
- Leave a small gap around the edges (otherwise the cream may spread when you roll the sponge cake).
- Roll up the sponge cake, but this time without the parchment paper.
Time to decorate your chocolate Yule Log!
Chocolate Cream Recipe
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
• 200g of dark chocolate
• 200g of softened butter
• 150g of caster sugar
• 25 cl of crème fraîche (dairy cream)
Method
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it gently in a double boiler. (Be careful not to burn it, or it will become unusable.
- Remove from the heat and add the softened butter, and whisk vigorously.
- Let this mixture cool
- Pour the heavy cream into a bowl.
- Add the sugar into the cream, then whip it into a whipped cream (Chantilly)
- Incorporate the Chantilly the cooled chocolate-butter mixture until light and airy.
This mixture will be used to fill and decorate the Swiss roll.
Once your sponge cake is filled with chocolate cream and rolled into a spiral (as explained previously):
- Spread the remaining chocolate mixture over the spiral using a piping bag and/or create a fir tree trunk pattern with a fork.
- Dust with icing sugar.
- Let your imagination run wild with the decorations: Christmas tree, Santa Claus, mushrooms, holly leaves, snowflakes…
Your Yule Log is ready! Keep it in a refrigerated place until you’re ready to serve.
Merry Christmas!
Photo and Header via Wikimedia Commons by CookTube CC BY-SA 4.0
